Feeder for balers



Oct. 15, 1946.

F. P. DICKOW FEEDER FOR BALERs Filed NOV. 17, 1943' 3 Sheets- Sheet 1 Oct. 15, 1946. F.'P. DICKOW FEEDER FOR BALERS Filed Nair. 17, 1943 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 fdfflzm M 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 272 fin f5,

F. P. DICKOW FEEDER FOR BALE RS Filed NOV. 17, 1943 Oct. 15,1946.

Patented Oct. 15, 1946 FEEDER FOR BALERS Frederick P. Dickow, Chicago, Ill., assignor to International Harvester Company, a corporation of New Jersey Application November 17, 1943, Serial No. 510,579

Claims.

This invention relates to an improved feeding device used with a baler. More specifically, it relates to a control for a feeder used with a pickup baler having a feed opening in the vertical side of the baling chamber.

In the copending application of Crumb et 2.1., Serial No. 466,460, filed November 21, 1942, there is illustrated and claimed in some detail a pickup baler having a feed opening in a vertical side of the baling chamber. The location of the feed opening in the vertical side of the baling cham ber has many advantages in a pick-up baler, but the movement of material through the feed opening into the baling chamber presents many prob lems. Accordingly, this application has to do with means for feeding material through a feed opening in the vertical side of a baling chamber.

An object of the present invention is to provide improved feeding means for a baler.

. Another object is the provision of improved feeding means for moving material through a feed opening in the vertical side ofa baling chamber associated with a pick-up baler.

Still another object is to provide packer fingers which in their packing stroke move slowly and having finished such work stroke, then quickly withdraw from the material handled and return before initiating a new stroke in the cycle.

Other objects will appear from the disclosure.

According to the present invention, packer elements or fingers are pivotally mounted on a rotating crank structure and are associated with a pivoted tubular or sleeve guide by means of an elongated element sliding in the tubular or sleeve guide. The arrangement is such that the packer elements in their work strokemove slowly into the balingchamber and then when the packing stroke is finished move quickly out of the baling chamber andreturn to begina new stroke in the cycle. i

In the drawings: r y

Figure 1 is a side view ofia pick-up baler employing the novel feeding means of the present the line chamber l3 and a reciprocating plunger l4. The baling chamber I3 is provided with a feed opening l5 in a vertical side thereof facing the pick-up device I l and through which opening material to be baled is moved from a transverse platform l4 alongside the baling chamber l3. Connected to the baling plunger I4 is a connecting rod l6 driven by a crank ll in turn driven through means, not shown, by a uniformly rotating power source such as a power take-off shaft I8 extending from a tractor, not shown. To the forward end of the baling chamber l 3' is connected a hitch frame l9 carrying a clevis 20 adapted to be connected to the draw-bar of the tractor, not shown.

The novel feeding means of the present invention will now be described. The top of the baling chamber l3 has a sheet metal part 2| having a portion 22 extending outwardly and upwardly over the platform M. The sheet metal member 2i is provided with two elongated flanged openings 23. Secured to the top of the sheet metal member 2| is an angle frame bar 24 to which is and has spaced crosswise disposed tubular portions 30. In each tubular portion 30 is slidably mounted an elongated rod 3i secured by a threaded end 32 to a sleeved bracket member 33. Each sleeved bracket member 33 is pivotally. mounted on a pin portion 34 of a crank structure 35 having depending arm portions 36. The crank structure 35 is connected through a coupling 31 and a universal joint 38 with a shaft 39, in turn connected by means, not shown, with gearing, not shown, and operable from the tractor power takeoff shaft l8.

Pivotally' mounted on each bracket member 33 at 40 spaced from pin 34 is a packer element or finger 4!. Each packerelement 4| extends downwardly and is also connected to the members 33 by means of an upstanding eye bolt 42. pivotally connected to the packer element 4| at 43, a spring 44 mounted upon the eye-bolt 42, and a nut 45 holding the spring 44 on the bolt 42 under desired compression and against themember 33 and providing individual relief for eachpacker element 4 I. Each packer element 4| is preferably of channel shape, the base of the channel being indicated by the reference character 46 and each.

side of'the channel by the reference character 41.

A part 48 bridges the sides 41 of each packerele-s ment 4| at its upper end and is engaged by the lower end of a bolt 49 adjustably threaded in each bracket member 33 and secured thereto by a lock nut 50. Each packer element 4| is relatively rigid with respect to the member 33, although the spring 44 permits some yielding of the packer element with respect to the member. The bolt 49 acting against the part 48 servesas a limit to the movement of the packer element M with respect to the member 33 in a clockwise direction, as viewed in Figure 3. The adjustment of bolt 49 permits the packers 4| to assume different relations with respect to the side of the bale chamber l3, so that the density of the'bale in formation can be controlled, regardless of the kind of material to be baled.

As appears in Figure 3, rotation of the crank structure 35 causes the packer elements 4| to move conjointly along the platform I4 through the opening l5 into the baling chamber I3 and out through the sheet metal. member 21' at the top of the baling chamber I3 Since each elongated rod 3! is secured to a member 33 and. each member 33 to a packer element 41', movement of each packer element 4!" is determined by the position of the rod 3|. in. the guide and. the angular position of the" guide. 30. In the. full-line position of the packer element 4i illustrated in Figure 3, the position being designated by the reference character A, the packer element M is above the baling chamber 13, and the crank. pin

34, which constitutes the effective pivot of the packer element 4! on the crank arm 36, is quite close to the pivot of the guide 28. Thus, for a certain small angle of movement of the crank 36 about the axis of rotation, there is a relatively large angle of movement of the rod 3i and the packer element 4! with respectto the crank 36, and so, as the crank structure continues upright in the clockwise direction of Figure 3 from the position A, the packer element moves somewhat quickly to the right. When the dash-dot position B is reached, each packer element All has passed through the slots 23 in the extension 22 of the sheet metal member 2-! constituting the top of the baling chamber [3 and has begun to move toward the left .over the platform M toward the baling chamber 13. In this position, the crank pin 34 is a relatively great distance from the pivot of' the guide 282 Thus, during continued movement of the packer element A l to the left from the position B through the feed opening l5 into the baling chamber 13 to a point near the dash-dot position C, there is little change in theangle of the packer element M with respect tothe crank 361 When the position C is reached, the crank pin 34" is moving generally upwardly, and the packer element 41 is-m'oving almost Vertically, since a line 5! drawn between the tip of the packer 4| and the crank pin 311' is generally alined: with'a line 52. drawn. between the crank pin 34 and the tubular portion: 3t of the guide 28. As the packer element 4| moves from the positionC to the positiorrA, itis quickly drawn through the slot 23 in the sheet metal 21 forming the top of the baling chamber t3; It is desirable, of course, to have a quick withdrawal of the packer elements 4|, since they must: be withdrawn completely from the bathing chamber I3 before the baling. plunger l4" reaches: its extreme forward position. The quick withdrawal of the packer elements 4| permitsthe packer elements to have a maximum amount of time between the packing positionsB' and C, and'thus to move slowly: enough for efli'ci'entfeeding of the material to be baled through the opening l5 into the baling chamber l3. It should be noted that in the position B, the angle of the packer element is such that the tip thereof is considerably dis- 5 placed outward of the crank pin 34 so that the maximum sweep over the platform 14 is obtained.

It will be apparent. from the foregoing description that a new control for the feeding means of a baler has been provided. Packer elements 4| move from a dotted-line position B in which the tips of the packer elements are to the right of the crank pin 34 to the position C in which the tips are to the left of the crank pin 34, so that a maximum distance is obtained for movement of the material from the platform into the baling chamber. Thereupon, almost vertical movement of the packing elements 4| out of the baling chamber l3 through the top thereof takes place, because of the slidable mounting of elongated rods 3| in the pivotally mounted guides 30. Because the movement of the packer elements 4! out of the baling chamber I3 is almost vertical, the tips of the packer elements may 5 move the maximum distance into the baling chamber l3 toward the left side thereof, and an optimum packing action is had.

The control. for the packing means has been illustrated as applied to a baling chamber having a feed opening in the vertical side thereof, and it is of special advantage with this type; but it is to be understood that it may also be applied to other baling chambers,

The invention is to limit the invention only within the scopeof the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In combination, a. baling chamber having a feed opening in a vertical side, a baling plunger mounted for reciprocation in the baling chamber, a packer element adapted to move material through the said feed opening into the baling chamber, and means mounting the packer element for movement into and out of the baling chamber, said mounting means comprising a rotatable member rotatable about a certain axis, means pivotally connecting the packing member to a point of the rotatable member spaced from its axis of rotation, a guidepivotally mounted at a point spaced from the axis of rotation of the member a greater distance than the spacing between the axis of rotation and the pivot of the packer element on the rotatable member, and an elongated part associated with the packer element and slidably mounted in the guide for causing the packer'element to have a-relatively large angle of movement about its pivot on the rotatable member for a given angle of movement of the rotatable member when the pivot of the packer element is between the pivot-of the guide 0 and the axis of the rotation of the rotatble member and to have a relatively large angle of movement about its pivot. on the rotatable member for the" same given angle of movement of the rotatable member when the axis of rotation of the rotatable member is between the pivot of the guide and the pivot of the packer element on the rotatable member.

2. In combination, a baling chamber, a packer element adapted to move materialv into the bal- 7 ing chamber and. means mounting the packer element for movement into and out ofthe baling chamber, said mounting means comprising: a. 1'0- tatable member rotatable about. a certain axis;

means pivotally connecting thepacking member to a point of the rotatable member spaced from its axis of rotation, a guide pivotally mounted at a point spaced from the axis of rotation of the member a greater distance than the spacing between the axis of rotation and the pivot of the packer element on the rotatable member, and an elongated part associated wtih the packer -element and slidably mounted in the guide for causing the packer element to have a relatively large angle of movement about its pivot on the rotatable member for a given angle of movement of the rotatable member when the pivot of the packer element is between the pivot of the guide and the axis of rotation of the rotatable member and to have a relatively large angle of movement about its pivot on the rotatable member for the same given angle of movement of the rotatable member when the axis of rotation of the rotatable member is between the pivot of the guide and the pivot of the packer element on the rotatable member.

:3. In combination, a baling chamber having a feed opening in a vertical side, a baling plunger mounted for reciprocation in the baling chamber, a packer element adapted to move material through the feed opening into the baling chamher, and means mounting the packer element for movement into the baling chamber through the feed opening in the vertical side and out of the baling chamber through the top thereof, said mounting means comprising a rotatable member having an axis of rotation above the baling chamber, means pivotally mounting the packer element on the rotatable member at a point spaced from its axis of rotation, a guide pivotally mounted above the axis of rotation of the rotatable member a greater distance than the spacing between the axis of rotation and the pivot of the packer element on the rotatable member, an elongated part slidably mounted on the guide and associated with the packer element for causing it to have a relatively large angle of movement about its pivot on the rotatable member for a given angle of movement of the rotatable member when the pivot of the packer element is above the axis of rotation of the rotatable member and to have a relatively small angle of movement about its pivot on the rotatable member for the same given angle of movement of the rotatable member when the pivot of the packer element is below the axis of rotation of the rotatable member, whereby the packer element moves relatively slowly through the feed opening in the vertical side into the baling chamber and relatively quickly out through the top of the baling chamber.

4. A packer mechanism for feeding material over a transverse platform into a longitudinal bale chamber, said mechanism comprising a support, a sleeve guide rockably carried by the support, a crank-shaft disposed below the guide, a bracket mounted on the crank-shaft and through which the crank-shaft turns, a depending packer pivotally connected to the bracket at a point spaced from the crank-shaft, an adjustable abutment between the bracket and packer, a guide member connected to the bracket and slidably carried in the sleeve guide, and resilient means operatively associated with the bracket and connected to the packer.

5. A packer mechanism for feeding material over a transverse platform into a longitudinal bale chamber, said mechanism comprising a support, a sleeve guide rockably carried by the support, a crank-shaft disposed below the guide, a bracket mounted on the crank-shaft and through which the crank-shaft turns, a depending packer pivotally connected to the bracket at a point spaced from the crank-shaft, an adjustable abutment between the bracket and packer, a guide member connected to the bracket and slidably carried in the sleeve guide, and resilient means operatively associated wtih the bracket and connected to the packer, said packer being channel shaped with its bight serving as the working face and its sides as the pivot mounting on the bracket.

FREDERICK P. DICKOW. 

